mong all the high-tech equipment in the Neonatal Intensive...

May 14, 2006

mong all the high-tech equipment in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center -- South Bend, one device is perhaps the most vital of all. You might overlook it, however, because it has no lights, no monitors, and no wires. Yet is used every day, and our mothers and babies benefit greatly from it. It is, simply, a rocking chair. That's because we understand that a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) depends just as much on high touch as it does on high tech. And so our rocking chair soothes tiny infants, one slow rock at a time. Saint Joseph's NICU is for newborns who have special needs at delivery and beyond. The staff provides 24-hour care and includes a neonatologist, neonatal nurse practitioner, and nurses specializing in the care of premature and sick newborns. Neonatologist F. Moncrief Dobson, MD, is Director of the NICU. "We hope that no one has to use our NICU," he said. "We view it as a safety net for families for when complications develop after labor, because even when everything goes right, sometimes something can go wrong." A strong focus for the NICU staff is to care not just for the baby, but the family as well. "We treat more than just the babies," said Dr. Dobson. "We treat families. We address their emotional concerns, as well as social and sometimes even financial." As NICUs go, Saint Joseph's unit might be considered small -- just eight beds, but the advantages are numerous. "Our small size means we are able to provide personalized care, and this is very important in treating ill newborns and their families," said Dr. Dobson. Dr. Dobson said he is especially proud of the NICU team. "Every staff member is just as important as the other. I think that's a big part of our success. We're all pulling together to reach the same goal, which is to get the baby healthy enough to go home." In addition, nurses throughout Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center are encouraged to "think critically." "Oftentimes, doctors dictate to the nurses what treatment to provide to the patient. But we encourage our nurses to make assessments and adjustments as they see fit," said Dr. Dobson. The NICU staff also strives to empower parents in the decision-making process. "We don't make decisions for parents. We ask parents to help us make decisions," Dr. Dobson stressed. "When we conduct our rounds in the NICU, we want the parents at the bedside, so they know exactly the condition of their baby and the options for treatment." For more information on the obstetrical services offered through Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center, please call 1-866-SJRMC-4U.